Sheet responsive control device



ALBERT C- WIEGERT I LOUIS J-COOK JR- INVENTORS ATTORNEYS A. C. WIEGERTET AL SHEET RESEONSIVE CONTROL DEVICE Jan. 7, 1969 Filed Jan. 17. 1966United States Patent 3,420,520 SHEET RESPONSIVE CONTROL DEVICE AlbertCarl Wiegert and Louis John (look, Jr., Rochester,

N.Y., assignors to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., a corporationof New Jersey Filed Jan. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 520,963 US. Cl. 271-75 Int.Cl. B65h 29/16 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present inventionrelates to a control device which is responsive to individual sheets fedalong a given path. More specifically, the present invention concerns animproved device for actuating or initiating functions relating to anapparatus, in response to the movement of individual sheets along a pathassociated with the apparatus. In accordance with the improved actuatingdevice of the present invention, a definite engagement is providedbetween the sheet engaging member and individual sheets fed past theengaging member, even under conditions of close sheet spacing and rapidfeed rates.

It will be apparent from the following description that the presentinvvention has many useful adaptations and can be used in conjunctionwith numerous types of apparatus. For purposes of illustration, theinvention is hereinafter described as it might be incorporated toactuate control functions in a continuous microfilmer, such functionsincluding, for example, operating a counter, lamp or shutter by means ofa document-actuated microswitch. However, other equivalent connectionssuch as a mechanical linkage or fluid coupling can be used to initiatefunctions relating to the apparatus in which it is used. Likewise, itwill be apparent that the actuating member can be adapted to effect suchfunctions itself without operating through other mechanisms.

Previous devices are known which provide an actuating movement inresponse to individual sheets fed past the device; however, difficultyhas been experienced in achieving a reliable actuation in response toeach sheet in situations where the individual documents are spaced atclose intervals along the path of travel and/or fed at rapid rates.Under such conditions, the actuations provided by devices of the typepreviously known in many instances are not initiated at all or at bestare quite erratic because proper engagement between individual sheetsand the actuating arm did not occur. By way of example, when a typicalprior art device is utilized to actuate a document counter in acontinuous microfilmer, the actuation of the counter mechanism becomeserratic at document feed rates of about 500 or more check sizeddocuments per minute.

The actuating device which is the subject of this invention overcomesthe difficulties previously encountered under conditions of high feedrate and/ or close document spacing by providing a more definiteengagement between the leading edge of individual sheets and an engagingportion of the actuating member which extends generally perpendicularlyto and through the main path of document travel. The more definiteengagement between these elements is achieved in part by providing meansto displace a portion of each document out of the main path of docu-"Ice ment travel, thus forming a bowed shelf which engages the engagingportion at a point which is out of the main path of travel.Additionally, as will subsequently be described in greater detail, thedefinite engagement of the present invention is made more eifective byproviding a time lapse for the end of the engaging portion of theactuating arm to return to the main path of travel before the engagingportion is contacted by the next succeeding document. By utilizing theimproved actuating mechanism of the present invention for the documentcounter in the previously-mentioned microfilmer, the same documents canbe accurately counted even when fed at a rate of 1,000 per minute,approximately twice that possible with the prior art devices.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a device forinitiating functions relating to an apparatus in response to individualsheets fed along a given path associated therewith.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet responsiveactuating device which performs reliably under conditions of rapid sheetfeed and/or when the sheets are closely spaced along the feed path.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an actuatingdevice which can accommodate the individual sheets at a more rapid ratethan previously known devices while maintaining certain, reliableresponse to each sheet fed thereby.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide means foreffecting more definite and certain engagement between an actuatingmember and individual sheets fed along a fixed path.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the following description,with reference to the accompanying drawing in which like charactersdenote like parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view taken along the cross-sectional lines 1-1 ofFIG. 2 illustrating one embodiment of the invention and showing theposition of the actuating arm prior to contact with the first of aseries of sheets.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front view of a portion of the document feedpath further showing the invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the fragmentary section in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4-6 are elevational views similar to FIG. 1 but showing thevarious positions of the actuating arm and feed sheets during differentstages of the actuating se quenee.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a segment of the path of travel P of adocument D through a typical apparatus embodying the present inventioncan be seen. The main path of travel P is defined on one side by theguide plates 11, rollers 13 and guide plates 14. Feed belts 15 definethe other side of the main path of document travel and are moved overthe rollers 13 and other rollers (not shown) so as to carry thedocuments D along the path P from an upstream to downstream position inthe direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that an actuating arm 20 is disposedadjacent the main path of document travel with a sheet engaging portion21 thereof extending generally perpendicular to and through the path Pat a location between the feed belts 15 and downstream along the path ofdocument travel from the end of the center guide plate 14. The actuatingarm 20 is supported in the rest position shown in FIG. 1 by the bottomstop 23 and the guide bracket 24 and is resiliently urged against thestop and bracket by the spring 25 which is attached near the endopposite the engaging portion 21.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a microswitch is so 10- cated that amicroswitch arm 31, pivotally attached thereto at axis 3-3, extends toengage the actuating arm 20 between its two ends. The microswitch arm 31is formed having a necked down end 32 and is of a length so that the end32 extends through an opening 34 formed in actuating arm 20. It can beseen, therefore, that actuating arm 20 is free to move against thespring 25 so that the sheet engaging portion 21 can be moved along thepath of document travel when engaged by documents fed thereby. As seenin FIG. 4, the movement of the actuat ing arm along the path of travelmoves microswitch arm 31 about the axis 33 and effects closing of themicroswitch 30.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, after the leading edge of a document D hasmoved a distance around the rollers 13, the sheet engaging portion 21 ofthe actuating arm 20 is disengaged therefrom. The actuating arm isthereafter moved back against bottom stop 23 by the spring 25 and intothe position illustrated in FIG. 5.

Again referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that the center guideplate 14' is formed with a raised guide finger 17 extending from the endthereof through the main path of document travel defined between theplates -14 and feed belts 15. By reference to FIG. it can be seen thatthe end of the guide finger 17 is located a distance X back along thepath of travel from the lowermost position of the end of the sheetengaging portion 21 of the actuating arm 20.

As each document passes over the guide finger 17, a portion of thedocument is displaced out of the main path of document travel towardsthe actuating arm 20. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, it can be seen thatthe belts 15 continuously urge the portion of documents thereunder intothe main path of document travel. Referring to FIGS. 4-6 it willtherefore be apparent that a shelf is formed between the belts and abovethe main path of document travel by the displaced portion of eachdocument. The shelf S will be formed on that portion of the document Dfrom the time the leading document edge passes over the guide finger 17until that portion has moved sufiiciently beyond the finger 17 thatbelts 15 can return it to the main path of travel. Once the trailing endof a document passes over the guide finger, the belts 15 rapidly returnthe trailing portion of the document to the document path so that theentire document thereafter lies substantially within the main path oftravel.

Operation of the improved actuating device normally commences when aseries of documents are fed into the apparatus along the feed path, inwhich instance the actuating arm is initially in the rest position shownin FIG. 1. As the leading edge of the first document D in the series isfed past the actuating arm 20, the portion 21 is engaged thereby andmoved to the position shown in FIG. 4, at which point the portion 21 isdisengaged from the edge of the document. During this movement of thearm 20, actuation is effected by the device, in this instance a closingof microswitch 30 through the linkage of microswitch arm 31. Afterdisengagement of the portion 21, the spring 25 returns the actuating arm20 to the bottom position shown in FIG. 5 with'the end of the sheetengaging portion 21 thereof riding on the trailing surface of thedocument from which it has been disengaged.

As the trailing portion of the first document D passes off of guidefinger 17, the entire document is restored to the main path of travel bybelts 15. From this point, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the end of theengaging portion 21 rests on the surface of the first document. As canalso be seen in FIG. 5, a portion of the leading end of the nextsucceeding document D' is, during the same time, displaced out of thepath by finger 17. The displaced portion of the succeeding documentforms the bowed shelf S which provides a definite engagement with theportion 21 without relying on any movement by that portion into the mainpath of travel. After the leading edge of engagement shelf S hastraveled the distance X, it contacts the engaging portion 21 and movesthe actuating arm 20 along the path of travel in the manner previouslydescribed. This sequence is repeated until the last document of theseries is fed past the actuating arm. During each sequence, the end ofengaging portion 21 may move off of trailing edge and between thesuccessive documents into a position like that in FIG. 1; however, itwill be apparent that movement of the engaging portion into the gapbetween documents is not necessary for operation of the device becauseof the novel engagement shelf S.

From the aforegoing description it will be appreciated that theactuating device herein described affords a more certain engagementbetween the actuating arm and each sheet fed therepast, which engagementdoes not depend on a gap in the direction of document feed existingbetween the trailing and leading edges, respectively, of successivedocuments.

It will also be apparent as viewed in FIG. 5 that the distance X betweenthe end of guide finger 17 and the furthermost position upstream ofengaging portion 21 provides an extended time period for engagingportion 21 to move into an engaging position, which periodis likewisenot dependent upon the gap existing between the documents.

Although the invention has been described in detail, it will beunderstood that variations and modifications can be effected within thespirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove, and asdefined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A device for effecting actuation of a mechanism in response toindividual sheets moved past the device and along a given path of travelfrom an upstream to a downstream position comprising:

an actuating arm connected to said mechanism and located on one side ofsaid path, said arm having a sheet engaging portion engageable andmovable by the leading edge of each of the individual sheets fedtherepast; and

guide means extending into said path for displacing at least a portionof each sheet passing thereover out of said path and into engagementwith said sheet engaging portion of said actuating arm.

2. The device as described in claim 1 wherein said guide means ispositioned upstream along said path of travel from the engaging portionof said actuating arm.

3. The device is described in claim 2 further comprising meanscontacting said sheet during movement along said 'path of travel forurging said sheet into said path, whereby the portion of a sheetdisplaced from said path by said guide means is rapidly moved back intosaid path after the trailing edge of said sheet moves out of contactwith said guide means.

4. In an apparatus having means for feeding individual sheets along agiven path of travel from an upstream to a downstream position, a devicefor initiating functions relating to said apparatus in response toindividual sheets ted therepast comprising:

(a) an actuating arm disposed on one side of said path of travel andhaving a sheet engaging portion adapted for movement along said path ofsheet travel from a first position to a second position downstream fromsaid first position;

(b) guide means disposed across said path of travel at a positionupstream from said first position of said engaging portion fordisplacing at least a portion of the sheet passing thereover out of thepath of travel and into a position for more certain engagement with saidengagement portion of said actuating arm; and

(c) means responsive to movement of said actuating arm for initiatingfunctions related to said apparatus.

5. The device as described in claim 4 wherein said guide means comprisesa guide plate having a flat portion extending along said path of travelon the side opposite said one side and an end portion extending fromsaid flat portion across said path at a locatoin upstream from, alongthe direction of feed, said first position of said sheet engagingportion.

6. The device as described in claim 4 further comprising meanscontacting said sheet during movement along said path of travel formoving said displaced portion of said sheet back into said path afterthe trailing edge of said sheet move-s past said guide means.

7. The device is described in claim 6 wherein said means for moving saidsheet back into said path comprises at least two belts disposed on saidone side of said path so that each respectively engages said document onan opposite side transversely from said guide means at at least onepoint forward along the path of travel from said guide means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,655,121 1/1928 Aldrich 271563,027,075 3/1962 Howdle et al. 198-40 X 3,219,829 8/1965 Reist 198-40 X10 EDWARD A. SROKA, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

